Boleyn traitor

Gregory (Dawnland, 2022) returns to the Tudor court with an absorbing focus on Jane Boleyn, sister-in-law to Anne. Here, Jane, who narrates, emerges as a dynamic figure forced to navigate ruthless political schemes, shifting alliances, and the volatile whims of King Henry VIII. Jane enters the royal court at a young age, rising to the title of Lady Rochford after marrying into the Boleyn family. This sweeping novel traces her path as courtier to five of Henry's six wives beginning with Anne, with whom Jane shares an intimate yet tense bond. Following Anne's infamous downfall, Jane is brought back to the court at the request of Thomas Cromwell, Henry's formidable, calculating adviser. Cromwell makes Jane his informant, teaching her to strategically employ her influence as she counsels successive queens amidst Henry's hunger for a male heir. As the marriages crumble and fortunes of the myriad characters rise and fall, Jane becomes dangerously enmeshed in liaisons of her own. Richly atmospheric, Gregory's novel delivers a riveting portrait of Jane and the drama of the cunning stakes involved in trying to survive Henry's reign.

Gregory resumes her Tudor Series (following 2017's The Last Tudor) with an engrossing tale of lady-in-waiting Jane Boleyn. In 1534 Greenwich Palace, Jane attends to her sister-in-law, Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's pregnant young queen. Henry is obsessed with producing a male heir, and after Anne gives birth to a girl, Elizabeth, he has Anne executed. Little is known about the historical Jane, who was wife to Anne's brother, George. Contemporaries vilified her as a traitor to her husband and Anne, both of whom were executed in 1536. Playing on the fact that Jane's father, Lord Morley, studied Machiavelli and Castiglione, Gregory casts her heroine as an ambitious, Machiavellian survivor who was enlisted by Thomas Cromwell "as one of his many lady-spies in the queen's rooms." The reader follows Jane through a well-staged series of court dances, royal hunts, May Day ceremonies, and other festivities. Lurking in the background are court intrigues, Spanish spies, and power plays, all of which bring on "death, undeniable death." Gregory also sketches the inner lives of "strong man" Henry VIII and his many wives: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, and "Kitty" Howard. It's Jane who steals the show, however, up until her tragic death in 1542. Once again, Gregory brings the Tudor era to vivid life. (Oct.)

Prolific historical fiction author Gregory (The Last Tudor) provides a shockingly relevant cautionary tale about tyrants. Taking the point of view of a longtime member of the royal court allows the story to unfold. In 1534, King Henry VIII sets aside Katherine of Aragon, his wife of 24 years, because she is unable to produce a male heir. He creates new laws and challenges the Catholic Church in order to remarry, to Anne Boleyn. The Boleyn family readily takes advantage of their new status at court; Anne's sister-in-law Jane Boleyn is made head lady-in-waiting while acting as spy for her uncle and Lord Cromwell. Jane tells the story of Henry's growing tyrannical tendencies as he acquires and discards wives and executes friends and supporters. No one is safe from his growing brutality, and no one ever says no to him, which encourages him to further atrocities. Jane is eventually caught in Henry's net. Too late, she realizes that standing up to Henry might have been better for everyone. VERDICT Gregory skillfully captures the lust for power and wealth that overcomes those who serve a mentally unstable ruler. Readers will gain insight about life at the royal court of Henry VIII and his uncontrolled power.--Joanna Burkhardt